Method of forming a roving package



Oct. 8, 1963 G. s. WISE, JR

METHOD OF FORMING A ROVING PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed April 29. 1960 /lIlllllllllllllllllllllllllfla Ill/ INVENTOR. GEORGE SPENCE WISE,JR.

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- v ATTORNEY Oct. 8, 1963 s, WISE, JR

METHOD OF FORMING A ROVING PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 29, 1960 h 7 m IIB \I\ b 5 7 b n o I w w 7 7 1 v C 7 /\v d 7 7 F! a -a- INVENTOR. GEORGE SPENCE w|sE,J-,'R. 7V 6 TTORNEY United States Patent )fi ice 3,195,056 Patented Get. 8, 1963 3,1t 6,(l56 METHGD (BF FOEMKNG A RGVLNG PACKAGE George S. Wise, in, Union, S.C., assignor to Deering Miiliken Research Corporation, Spartanhnrg, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Original application Apr. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 25,677, now Patent No. 3,049,859, dated Aug. 21, 1962. Divided and this application Nov. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 151,i)2ti 3 Claims. (411. 57156) This is a divisional application of my copending application, Serial Number 25,677, filed April 29, 1960, now Patent No. 3,049,859.

This invention relates to improved methods of forming roving packages.

In the art of forming roving packages it is advantageous to form a package which has as large a content of roving as possible with a given package diameter, base length for the build, and number of traverse strokes of the build. In a copend'i-ng application of Early D. Jones and Grady H. Sanders, S.N. 25,772, filed April 29, 1960, now Patent No. 3,019,588, it is proposed to increase the poundage and yardage in a roving package produced on an English builder by modifying the two-bar cam bracket to provide opopsitely convexly curved internal cam surfaces permitting a selected varying lost motion between the cam bracket and the poker bar to thereby modify the package build. In this Jones and Sanders Patent there is disclosed a modilied cam bracket for forming convex ended roving package, which has greater poundage and yardage than a corresponding straight tapered endeid package as formed on a conventional English builder of the prior art.

The present invention is an improvement over the ones and Sanders invention in that a roving package is formed which has convextly tapered ends at the beginning of the build and which has substantially straight ends after a desired lesser slope angle (with respect to the package axis) is reached. Thus, a package is formed with a greater slope angle than conventional at the beginning of the build cycle, and this slope angle is gradually decreased (thereby effecting convex ends on the package at the beginning of the build) until a given reduced slope angle is reached, and this reduced slope angle is then substantially constant from this point to the end of the build. By thus forming a convex curvature at the beginning of the build a package is formed which With a given base length has increased effective length in all other layers of the build, as compared to a conventional straight tapered ended roving package, and in this respect this invention is similar to and incorporates the basic feature of the above menioncd Jones and Sanders invention, as set forth in said patent. However, the present invention is an improvement over the patent of Jones and Sanders in that a still further increase in the package content is efiected by maintaining the slope angle substantially constant from a point Where the slope angle of the convex curve reaches a desired reduced value. Thus, whereas in the arrangement as disclosed in the copending Jones and Sanders patent the slope angle continues to be decreased in the latter stages of the build until the end of the build is reached, according to the present invention the slope angle is no longer decreased after the slope angle is reduced to a selected predetermined value.

The particular increase in the original slope angle and the radius of convex curvature, as well as the particular slope angle at which the convex curve is changed to a substantially straight line tangential thereto is dependent upon the particular roving material being processed. However, as an illustrative example of a practical application of the present invention, a Platt roving frame having an English type builder has been modified to form a roving package of cotton roving with an original slope angle at the base of the build of the order of 51 degrees, the radius of curvature of the convex end portion being 10% inches and a subsequent substantially straight end portion having a slope angle of approximately 40 degrees. The roving package in this instance had a base length of 12 inches formed on a bobbin of 2 inches diameter, and an external package diameter of 6 /2 inches. This improved package weighed 4.47 pounds as compared to a conventional package having straight tapered ends at a slope of 40 degrees and weighing 4.0 pounds. This represents an increase of .47 pound or 8.5 percent over the package formed on the conventional English builder. It also represents an increase over the poundage effected with a fully convex ended roving package having a corresponding beginning slope angle for the radius of convex curvature and including a convex curvature also at the terminal "end of the build.

The invention will be more readily understod from a reading of the following detailed description of a preferred mode of practice thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic 'view in perspective, illustrating a preferred apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a rear view in perspective of the conventional connection between the poker bar and the poker bar cradle of the apparatus of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation view of the two-bar cam bracket per so as employed in the arrangement of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 4 is an outline schematic illustration of a completed bobbin package formed according to the present invention, also illustrating in broken lines for comparison the generally straight tapered ends of a roving package formed with a conventional English or Platt builder arrangement.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings, as in the conventional Platt or English build roving frame a bobbin traverse rail or carriage 11 carrying a plurality of suitably rotatably driven bobbin holding bolsters 13 is reciprocated in a vertical path by an upstanding rack 15 secured thereto, the rack being reciprocated through the medium of a gear train 17, including a pinion gear 17a meshing with the rack 15, and a reversible clutch arrangement 19. The reversible clutch arrangement 19 conventionally includes a bevel drive gear 21 and a pair of alternately intermeshing bevel gears 23 and 25 fixed on a drive shaft 27, the drive gear 21 being driven by a motor M as through a suitable mechanical connection indicated generally at 29. Intermittent reversing of the reversible clutch 19 is effected through the medium of a reversing rod 31 and reversing lever 33. The reversing lever 33 is suitably pivotally mounted and pivotal movement thereof effects selected engagement of one of the gears 23 and 25 with the bevel drive gear 21, this in turn reversing the direction of rotation of the drive shaft 27 upon which they are mounted and which imparts movement through the gear train 17 to the rack 15.

The reversing lever 33 is pivoted first in one direction and then in the other, each reversal taking place at the end of the desired traverse movement of the bobbin rail or carriage 11. This intermittent pivotal movement of the reversing lever 33 and consequent reversing of the reversing clutch 1.9 is effected through the medium of a tumbler bracket 35 which is oscillated in alternate directions about a shaft 37 on which it is loosely mounted, each alternate oscillation being effected at each end of the traverse stroke of the bobbin rail or carriage 11. Also mounted for free oscillated movement on the shaft 37 is a poker bar cradle 39 which is rocked back and forth by a poker bar 4% slidably mounted in a pair of lugs ll formed on the rear of the cradle 39, as shown more particularly in FIGURE 2. Angular movement of the poker bar til and the poker bar cradle 39 about the axis of shaft 37 is effected through the medium of a cam bracket 75, commonly known as a two-bar bracket, which engages with a pair of follower rollers or lugs dob mounted or formed on the end of the poker bar 4'9. For the purposes of this application, the follower rollers or lugs itlb will be considered as a part of the poker bar The cam bracket 7 is suitably secured to and vertically moved in synchronism with the reciprocable carriage 11 as by a connecting bracket 47. Thus, the reciprocating traverse movement of the carriage lll imparts an angular movement to the poker bar 4% and poker bar cradle 39 about the axis of shaft 37. Upon the poker bar and poker bar cradle moving through a predetermined selected angle, either clockwise or counterclockwise, one of two trip screws 4%, 4% on the poker bar cradle 39 will engage with and disengage a corresponding one of two spring biased holding pawls 51a, 511') which alternately serve to hold the tumbler bracket 35 in clockwise and counterclockwise oscillated positions. For example, in the position of the elements as shown in FIGURE 1 the pawl Sfib is holding the tumbler bracket 35 in the counterclockwise position, and the reversing lever is held in its clockwise movement position to thereby effect downward movement of the rack and traverse carriage ll. This likewise eifects downward movement of the cam bracket 75 and clockwise angular movement of the poker bar and poker bar cradle 39' as viewed in FIGURE 1. When the poker bar and poker bar cradle reach a selected predetermined angular position the trip screw 4% will disengage the pawl 515; from the lug on the top of the tumbler bracket. The tumbler bracket will then be oscillated in a clockwise direction under the influence of a weight 53b which is then fully engaged with and biasing the tumbler bracket in the clockwise direction. As in the conventional arrangement a weight relieving cradle lever 55 is suitably connected for angular movement with the bobbin carriage about a pivot 57 in order to effect alternate relieving of the action of the weights 53a and 53b on the tumbler bracket 35. Thus, in the illustrated position of the elements, the weight 53a is raised out of effective biasing position on the tumbler bracket 35 during downward movement of the bobbin carriage Ill, while the weight 53b is permitted to bias the tumbler Bracket in the counterclockwise direction. At the lower end of travel of the bobbin carriage ll the weight 53a will be raised upwardly to relieve its force from the tumbler bracket 35, and the weight 53b will be released to exert a clockwise bias force on the tumbler bracket. The opposite action then takes place at the upper end of the traverse movement of the bobbin carriage ll, permitting the tumbler bracket to be biased and moved in the counterclockwise direction upon tripping of the pawl 51a by the corresponding trip screw 49a. As will be seen, the tumbler bracket 35 has a stud 59 fixed to and extending from an extension at its lower end, the rever-sing lever being engageable with and movable with this stud 5? as a function of oscillating movement of the tumbler bracket.

The extent of travel of the bob-bin carriage 11 between each succeeding pair of directional reversms thereof is a function of the length of the poker bar as from its pivot axis to the point of engagement thereof with the two-bar cam bracket 75. In the conventional English or Platt builder motion the two-bar cam bracket has a constant width longitudinal slot formed therein with substantially parallel upper and lower longitudinally extending roller engaging surfaces. Thus, in the conventional Platt or English builder arrange-ment, by shortening the effective length of the poker bar from its pivot axis to the point of engagement with the two-bar bracket the length of traverse of the bobbin carriage will be shortened on each succeeding traverse stroke by a predetermined constant amount which is a direct and constant function of the incremental extent of shortening of the poker bar for each traverse. This incremental shortening of the effective length of the poker bar is effected, as in the conventional arrangement, through the medium of an escapement including a torque exerting weight 61 and capstan 63, which imparts a unidirectional torque to a ratchet wheel 65 fixed on the shaft 37, and a pair of pivotally mounted escapement pawls 67a, 6712, each of which is resiliently biased toward engagement with the ratchet wheel as through the medium of an interconnecting tension spring 69. Secured on the stud 59 extending from the extension of the tumbler bracket is a pawl release bracket 71 which is disposed between the two pivotally mounted pawls 67a, 67b. The intermittent oscillation of the tumbler bracket 35 at the end of each traverse stroke of the bobbin carriage 11 effects the movement of one of the pawls 67a, 6715 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 65 through corresponding intermittent oscillation of the pawl release bracket '71 on the stud and permits movement of the other pawl into engagement therewith, thereby permitting a small incremental one-tooth movement of the ratchetwheel as in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1. The shaft 37 has secured thereon at its opposite end a pinion 73 meshing with rack teeth formed on the oker bar 4Q, and the intermittent incremental movement of the ratchet wheel 65 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1 will effect a corresponding intermittent movement of the poker bar 49 by an incremental amount to the left as viewed in this FlGURE 1, thereby shortening the effective length of the poker bar at from its pivot axis to the point of contact with the twobar cam bracket 75.

According to the present invention the conventional builder motion apparatus of the English or Platt builder frame is employed in conjunction with an improved twobar cam bracket 75 to effect the build of a roving package P which has convex ends P at the beginning of the build and which has substantially straight tapered ends P (sec FIGURE 4) along the latter portion of the build. The configuration of the cam slot '77 formed in the two interconnected spaced apart cam plates 79 of the two-bar bracket 7'5 of one embodiment may be seen from FIG- URES l and 3, wherein it will be noted that the beginning end portion 77a of the cam slot 77 is parallel sided in the conventional manner to accommodate with substantially no vertical lost motion the horizontal translatory movement of the poker bar follower rollers 40!) during the angular movement of the poker bar in following the cam bracket '75 in its vertical path. The initial position of the poker bar rollers 4% in the cam slot 77 is preferably at the left hand extremity of this initial parallel sided portion 77a of the slot when the bobbin carriage ll begins its vertical movement at the extreme end of its initial traverse, and the length of the parallel sided slot portion 77a need normally be only sufficiently long to accommodate the horizontal translatory movement of the poker bar rollers 4% toward the right and then toward the left as the poker bar 49 moves in its angular path following the vertical movement of the cam bracket 75 and bobbin carriage it on the initial traverse. Thus, on the initial traverse of the bobbin carriage 11 the length of the traverse may correspond to the traverse which would normally be effected with the conventional builder arrangement.

According to the present invention, however, the cam slot 77 is formed so that subsequent traverse strokes are lengthened over those which would be effected by a conventional straight sided cam slot. This lengthening of the build stroke is effected by forming the cam surface 77 to permit a gradually increased vertical lost motion between the cam bracket 75 and the poker ba-r during the first portion of the build so as to form convexly tapered ends P on the package P, and by maintaining the amount of increased lost motion substantially constant from an intermediate point P in the build, preferably at the point where the convex curvature reaches a selected angle of slope with respect to the longitudinal axis of the package, onto the end of the build. This is in accordance with finding that the slope angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the package may 'be greater at the beginning of the build than the maximum slope angle which may be formed at the end of the build without causing any noticeable increased sloughing tendency. Thus the slope angle may be increased at the beginning of the build to a value substantially greater than is conventional with a straight tapered ended package, and then gradually decreased to a lesser slope at an intermediate point in the build, this lesser slope then being maintained substantially constant to the end of the build. The angle of constant terminal slope is preferably the maximum slope angle which may be formed without causing undesirable sloughing tendency in the outer layer or layers for the particular roving being wound, and may thus correspond for instance to the angle of slope which would be employed for the entire end surface P of a straight tapered ended package of a given roving.

In effecting this end, the cam surface 77 has a gradually increasing width along the initial and intermediate effective portion 77b of its length, and the configuration of this section 7712 is convex so as to form smooth convex tapered end portions P at the axially outer ends of the package as shown in FIGURE 4. From an interme diate point 77i of the cam surface where the curved portion 77b becomes parallel to the longitudinal center line of the cam the upper and lower cam surfaces 770 are maintained substantially straight and parallel on out to the effective end 77d of the cam, and thus permit a substantially constant amount of vertical lost motion between the cam bracket '75 and the poker 'bar 49, to thereby maintain the terminal portion P, of the package ends substa-n tially straight and at a substantially constant slope angle.

Although the cam surface 77 is illustrated with substantially no extra room at each end of its length it may sometimes be dcsirable to form either or both of the'left and right hand ends somewhat longer than the theoretical traverse length for the follower rollers in order to accommodate improper setting or operation of the builder mechanism.

While from a theoretical standpoint it may appear desirable to offset one of the upper or lower cam surfaces with respect to the other in the direction of the longitudinal center line of the cam (i.e. horizontally) in order to effect fully symmetrical package ends, such has not been found necessary from a practical standpoint due particularly to the very small increment of change (e.g. approximately 0.1 inch, of the poker bar length at the end of each succeeding build stroke. For this reason, the cam has been shown schematically with both the upper and lower cam surfaces substantially identically disposed along the length of the longitudinal center line of the cam bracket. It will be understood, of course, that if one should so desire, the upper and lower cam surfaces may be displaced with respect to each other along the longitudinal center line by an amount equal to the incremental change of the poker bar length at the end of a build stroke. For instance, if the build is started the bobbin rail 11 at the bottom orf its traverse the lower cam surface would be shifted to the left by an amount equal to the effective displacement of the poker bar rollers as a result of the incremental shortening of the poker bar effective length at the end of each build stroke, and vice versa if the build is started with the bobbin rail 11 at the upper end of its travel. However, as mentioned above, while such precision may be desirable from a theoretical standpoint it has not been found to be necessary to provide such a longitudinal oifset of the cam surfaces in order to practice the invention in a practical operation.

Further, the illustrativev embodiment has been shown with the cam designed for horizontal setting of the imaginary line from the poker bar pivot axis to the center of the poker bar follower rollers when the bobbin rail is positioned with the roving flyer presser feet at the center of the bobbin traverse extent. In some instances, particularly with English type builder frames of the Platt make, it is customary to set the builder motion with the poker bar itself horizontal when the presser feet are at this center position. In such instances it will be advantageous to offset the lower cam surface of the cam bracket 75 toward the terminal end (i.e. toward the left as viewed in FIGURES l and 3) slightly in order to compensate for the lateral offset of the poker bar per se from its pivot axis and thereby form a desire full sized roving package symmetrical at the opposite ends.

It will be understood that minor modifications and improvements may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited to the precise embodiment illustrated herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, that which is claimed 1. The method of forming a roving package comprising forming each of a plurality of succeeding single roving thickness layers of turns of roving onto a roving carrier in substantially parallel relation to the roving carrying surface of said roving carrier and with at least one tapered end on said package, and gradually decreasing the length of the succeeding said parallel layers for a plurality of layers by increasing increments of decrease, then decreasing the length of a further plurality of subsequent parallel layers by a substantially constant increment of decrease.

2. The method of claim 1 including maintaining said constant increment of decrease for a plurality of said layers on out to the formation of the final layer of roving.

3. The method of claim 1 including forming a tapered end on each end of said package, said increasing increments of decrease and further decrease of constant increment being substantially equal at and in the formation of both ends of said package.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,021,664 Fornes Feb. 20, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 716,386 Germany Jan. 20, 1942 492,853 Great Britain Sept. 28, 1938 

1. THE METHOD OF FORMING A ROVING PACKAGE COMPRISING FORMING EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SUCCEEDING SINGLE ROVING THICKNESS LAYERS OF TURNS OF ROVING ONTO A ROVING CARRIER IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATION TO THE ROVING CARRYING SURFACE OF SAID ROVING CARRIER AND WITH AT LEAST ONE TAPERED END ON SAID PACKAGE, AND GRADUALLY DECREASING THE LENGTH OF THE SUCCEEDING SAID PARALLEL LAYERS FOR A PLURALITY OF LAYERS BY INCREASING INCREMENTS OF DECREASE, THEN DECREASING THE LENGTH OF A FURTHER PLURALITY OF SUBSEQUENT PARALLEL LAYERS BY A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT INCREMENT OF DECREASE. 